There’s just no show that can capture my heart like a Boston Gay Men’s Chorus concert.  With warm ballads, beat boxing, the worm, a gaggle of dancing cowboys, and a startling tribute led by one of Boston’s finest actors, We the people was no exception to this claim.  It makes sense to talk about this prodigious concert in two parts, as Music Director, Ruben Reynolds must have had in mind when he set them apart in two acts.  First, I’ll discuss the informal celebration of love and peace, and then the “exploration of marriage equality” which came after intermission.

Gwyneth Walker, a distinguished modern composer, is known for her works celebrating the natural peace and beauty of the Earth.  The BGMC performed a trio of her works at the beginning of the concert and I have to say it is the finest I have ever heard them sound.  The beautiful pieces were sophisticatedly caressed by their voices, and the harmonies were perfect.  I felt myself instantly carried away to a better place, and was so enraptured by their ability to shine as a choir in the classic sense without the colorful stage business.  This sweet and warm moment was followed up by a little fun, when, with classic barbershop sound and classic BGMC camp, a quartet of fabulous gentlemen performed “Standing on the Corner” from Losser’s The Most Happy Fella.  They were almost (but not quite) outdone, though, by the tender duet that followed them.  While I don’t usually like to single out individuals in choral groups, I have to say that I was deeply moved by Paul Consoli’s smooth and easy voice in the Gershwin classic, “A Love Story”.  While I enjoyed the several pieces that followed, “A Love Story” echoes in my mind still, as the real defining song from the first half of the concert.  Of course no performance would be complete without the BGMC varsity dance troupe, and I loved their cowboy chic interpretation of the old-time hit, “Cindy”.  What an energizing and fun way to close out the first act!

When the chorus took the stage for the second half of the performance, I don’t think I was fully prepared for the powerful musical exploration I was about to undertake.  My first clue, though, was the arrival of John Kuntz ( He was the writer and sole actor of my favorite show of 2009, The Salt Girl, reviewed here).  Narrating with dynamism, but without interruption, he was a perfect guide as the chorus led us through a series of musical interludes, from “America’s Promise- We Hold These Truths” and “The Objections- They Said No!” songs about the seeds of the battle for the right to marry, right through the powerful conclusion, “The Colors of Love” which celebrated the right for us all to be seen as capable of loving and understanding the importance of unifying families.  True-life testimonials from married couples in the chorus, from long time sign language interpreter, LeWana Clark and her partner, and from former legislator and long time gay right’s activist Marjorie Clapprood (in a stunning ensemble), laced seamlessly through the music, turning it into more of a theatrical one-act than a choral piece.  It was masterful.  Mark Koval, who wrote the music, lyrics, and narration, should be proud.  The piece is ever so much more touching than the stale tribute to community outreach, “The Story of You” that the BGMC performed at their holiday concert.  It had all of the spirit, sophistication, evocative self-reverence and passion that that piece lacked.

I was touched, and moved to tears many times throughout the piece, but it does stand mentioning that their were several staged moments that I found both confusing and superfluous.  Why, for example, were the chorus members holding up blue and red ping-pong paddles seemingly at random throughout the first movement?  There was no rhyme or reason to the action that anyone around us could ascertain, and it was so distracting that I spent most of the time trying to figure it out and not much time listening to the words of the music.  The final movement also produced a seriously overworked rose metaphor in which the choir held up red and yellow roses in possibly the most awkward physical movement ever given to a man in a tuxedo.  I bet it felt as uncomfortable to do as it was for the audience to watch; their facial expressions sure seemed to reflect just that.  The piece was so beautiful and stirring on its own, I think Neil Donohoe really fell on his face here with the staging.  It would have been so much better to let the chorus move us with their beautiful voices and true conviction rather than trying to distract us with strange hand props.

Hand props aside (and that’s where they should stay from now on, aside), I cannot begin to express my undying love and support for this group of phenomenal men.  They continue to touch audiences with their vigilant dedication to the premise that music can do so much more than entertain; it can enlighten, empower, and energize an entire nation.  Thank you, boys.  Looking forward to Divas!

Standing On The Corner

Gentle. Playful. Warm.  An enveloping feeling of welcome that is effervescent and buzzing with life.  The lasting, echoing flavor of a very good memory.  An evening with The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is more than just your standard choral event.  Each song is lovingly selected at the hands of a dedicated conductor and music director, rehearsed and molded under the tutelage of a brilliant team of artists and musicians with the common goal to peak in perfection during performance time.  What is so inspiring to me about the BGMC is their ability to move an audience through a journey of emotions without ever feeling preachy or self-important.

This year’s holiday concert, Our Home For The Holidays is a wonderful collection of music that spans centuries and continents to evoke a most colorful aural display.  As with many other BGMC holiday concerts, two very distinct portions of the show equally delight and captivate the audience.  For the ease of this review, we’ll call them the “traditions” portion of the show, and the portion of the show that my companion so aptly referred to as, “a feast for the eyes”.

During the “traditions” portion of the concert, the audience was embraced by a few classic John Rutter carols, and then a trio of Rachmaninoff songs.  My heart almost burst when the chorus started the first few notes of “Rejoice, O Virgin”, a personal favorite of mine.  I have never heard it sung in an all male arrangement and it was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it would be.  After Conrad Susa’s “A Christmas Garland” which offered a lovely and delicate trio, and a brief intermission, the chorus reassembled and welcomed Kerry Dowling to the stage.  I have extolled my love for Dowling before (Hi, I love you!) but to hear her perform Fred Small’s “Not In Our Town” (arranged by Kevin Robison) was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  With the chorus behind her in perfect harmony, Dowling’s cogent voice endowed the audience with an extremely harrowing tale of a community coming together to take a stand against anti-Semitism, focusing on the experience of a young Jewish boy and his family.  I was absolutely a mess of tears.  It was remarkably moving and powerful, not just because of Dowling’s vocal prowess, but because the chorus itself underscored her with such resolute enthusiasm.  It is a piece I will not forget for a long time.

Upon the heels of such a moving moment, the “feast for the eyes” portion of the concert breathed a buoyant holiday humor into the room without circumventing the touching music which came before it.  The BGMC never lets me down during the second half of their holiday concert!  This year, the dance team, dressed as elves, led the chorus in a brilliant, original Kevin Robinson medley, charmingly titled “The Elves’ Broadway Christmas”.  Show tune favorites were mixed with classic Christmas lyrics to produce a completely hysterical tribute that any friend of Dorothy (and friend of friend of Dorothy) would be completely tickled by.  I especially loved the Phantom of The Opera and Les Miserables references.  Dowling took to the stage again as Mrs. Claus to help end the night with a bang during “Christmas Samba” where the band of merry elves in Mariachi outfits shook their bottoms across the stage and danced around Dowling in a two foot tall frosted fruit hat!  She had the audience in tears again for the night, only this time time they were tears of joy.  What a fabulous way to celebrate this holiday season!

The BGMC continues to bring inventive holiday concerts year after year- I was shocked to discover that this was my fifth holiday concert and I have adored each and every one.  I never tire of their devotion to the audience- not only during performance, but throughout the year in their support through various outreach programs.  BGMC is unquestionably my choice for yearly donations, and I think it should be yours too.  I’ve decided to provide the link to their contribution area because I’m that serious about it.  Bravo again, friends, and Feliz Navidad!

Baroque opera is not for everyone. It is a bit slow moving and focuses more on the music than on the action. It is full of Da Capo arias that can either be exhilarating or drab, but when done well leaves an audience grasping for more. The Boston Early Music Festival is known for their amazing productions and concerts with exquisite music, brilliant technique and full houses.

Their production of George Frideric Handel’s Acis and Galatea intrigued me. I was very excited when walking into Jordan Hall to find that the soprano portraying Galatea for the night, Teresa Wakim, was actually the role’s understudy. Her bright beautiful tone coupled with baroque movement and style was a perfect execution for this opera. I felt her joy, pain, and grief through the production and applauded how she handled herself. I wish the men did not overpower her in the choral sections so that I could have appreciated her in a group as much as I did when she was soloing. Another highlight of the singers was Zachary Wilder as Coridon. His voice was superb with color and clarity and joy, and though he only had one aria, I was left wishing for more from him. Aaron Sheehan, as Acis, sang the second act superbly and his rage aria had me on my feet. I was disappointed though, with the antagonist, Polyphemus, sung by Douglas Williams. The entire opera rests on his “O Ruddier than the Cherry” which lacked power, splendor and ornamentation. It fell flat at a point in the opera that is pivotal to the plot and after which I paid little attention to his character.

The orchestra was perfect. Led by Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, each instrumentalist played a key role in the performance that was seamless and graceful. The oboe and recorder players Kathryn Montoya and Gonzalo X. Ruiz were delicious and really stood out as the most fun to listen to throughout the show. Anna Watkins’ costuming was gorgeous and really added to each character in style as well as a prop to use. The costume for Acis when he is in fountain form left me breathless. Gilbert Blin, as stage director, is highly acclaimed for his baroque staging. On this stage, the singers postures and movements were perfect. Their hands were graceful with their bodies in ceaseless movement and each resembled a beautiful portrait of 18^th century art. They were lovely.

Unfortunately I took issue with the rest of the director’s nontraditional staging. I believe the idea is that the show is being rehearsed in an affluent 18^th century family’s home. There were seats and desks with writing utensils, papers and tea cups on either side of the concert stage and a raised platform in the back with an aisle down the center. All the major action took place in the front of the stage as well as down the center and the back platform. While most of the opera is performed by one person at a time the rest of the singers were seated writing or drinking tea and having nothing to do with the action of the play. It detracted completely from the action of whoever was singing because the “non singers” were not even paying attention to the arias. If they don’t care enough to pay attention, then why should I?  I am still perplexed as to what the staging was for since it didn’t add to the piece dramatically. I also question the use of two paintings in the production. The first was great with regard to the opening song “The Pleasure of the plains”, but after that it was of little use and was a huge distraction.  The same goes for the painting hung at the back for the second act. There was no special use of stage or space and the most perplexing thing was the removal of wigs or dress as if it added intent to songs and arias. This did not have the desired effect.  I found the whole thing to be a bit like the performers just milling about in a heap of mismatched 18th century objects.  It could have been so much more powerful if the singers gave a true concert in the classic style.

I loved the music of this piece. It is a wonderful example of pastoral beauty and whimsy and BEMF’s version keeps your attention. It was a wonderful night of music and I believe BEMF got their message across, though Mr. Blin might have a few things to think about before staging the next chamber opera. Beautiful singing and grace!

PHOTO CREDIT: Teresa Wakim as Galatea (left) and Aaron Sheehan as Acis (right).  Courtesy of David Walker.